PROVERBS 13:23
A poor person’s farm may produce much food,
but injustice sweeps it all away.
Identifying with God’s causes
So the godly do not always prosper. This proverb breathes a word of warning amid all the other proverbs extolling the success of the godly.
It makes sense that godly people tend to prosper more than wicked people in a just environment. Godly people are less likely to throw away their money and lives on gambling, drunken revelry, drug addiction, and so forth. Godly people tend to be honest and hardworking, responsible.
But then there are the godly caught in systems of economic incompetence, political oppression, religious persecution, and cultural prejudice. In fact, God, speaking through several Old Testament prophets seems especially concerned with economic injustice. And Jesus railed against religious people who fixated on religious pet peeves while ignoring justice issues.
Churches in my denomination are receiving an offering in February called “Heart of Ministries”. The money collected will help rescue some of the 27 million slaves in the world today, many of whom live in our “land of the free”. I think causes like this one have a very special place in God’s heart.
Lord God, of all the social issues I could give to or get involved with, allow your passion for justice to beat in my chest more and more. – Mike Leamon
PROVERBS 13:7-8
Some who are poor pretend to be rich;
others who are rich pretend to be poor.
The rich can pay a ransom for their lives,
but the poor won’t even get threatened.
Contentment and integrity
Yesterday’s paper (Rochester D&C) featured an article about shopping trends of rich people during economic downturns. It turns out high end stores have ditched their designer bags with store labels for plain white paper bags and home delivery. People do not want to be seen buying expensive clothes when others are being laid off, so they pretend to be poor.
On the flip side, the catalyst for the economic recession we are now experiencing was poor people taking on loans they were unable to sustain. In an attempt to “have it all” people lived beyond their means pretending to be something they were not.
The Bible gives us a different example. Paul said he had learned the secret of being content with little and with much. (Philippians 4:12) His financial position really did not matter; it was irrelevant to his identity. Paul’s identity was found in Christ and so should ours be. Instead of pretending to be something we are not, live out your true identity in Christ irregardless of your financial status.
Lord of all creation, help me to be content with what you have given me today. Help me to live from my identity in you rather than a social status achieved through wealth, education or position. - Dan Jones
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